# test
<a name="cfn-guard-test"></a>

Validates an AWS CloudFormation Guard rules file against a Guard unit testing file in JSON or YAML format to determine the success of individual rules.

## Syntax
<a name="cfn-guard-test-synopsis"></a>

```
cfn-guard test 
--rules-file <value>
--test-data <value>
```

## Parameters
<a name="cfn-guard-test-flags"></a>

`-a`, `--alphabetical`

Sort alphabetically inside a directory.

`-h`, `--help`

Prints help information.

`-m`, `--last-modified`

Sorts by last-modified times within a directory

`-V`, `--version`

Prints version information.

`-v`, `--verbose`

Increases the output verbosity. Can be specified multiple times.

The verbose output follows the structure of the Guard rules file. Every block in the rules file is a block in the verbose output. The top-most block is each rule. If there are `when` conditions against the rule, they appear as a sibling condition block.

## Options
<a name="cfn-guard-test-options"></a>

`-d`, `--dir`

Provide the root directory for rules.

`-o`, `--output-format`

Specify the format in which the output should be displayed.

*Default*: `single-line-summary`

*Allowed values*: `json` \$1 `yaml` \$1 `single-line-summary` \$1 `junit`

`-r`, `--rules-file`

Provides the name of a rules file.

`-t`, `--test-data`

Provides the name of a file or directory for data files in either JSON or YAML format.

## Examples
<a name="cfn-guard-test-examples"></a>

```
cfn-guard test --rules-file rules.guard --test-data example.json
```

## Output
<a name="cfn-guard-test-output"></a>

```
PASS|FAIL Expected Rule = rule_name, Status = SKIP|FAIL|PASS, Got Status = SKIP|FAIL|PASS
```

## See also
<a name="cfn-guard-test-see-also"></a>

[Testing Guard rules](testing-rules.md)